Shit on the Side
Shit on the Side (or SOTS) is the side group to BENLINUS' Survivor, used to archive the confessionals and conversations contestants have sent to BENLINUS during their time in the game. Alternatively, the group is occasionally used to somewhat parody the role of a viewers lounge (a popular feature in many other group games). Whilst not all seasons have utilised the Shit on the Side group for any non-contestant activity, many have featured alumni of the series making predictions and following the game, typically in a non-serious fashion. Two common features in the group have been Simon has a podcast (SHAP) and Cast assessment and chill (CANC). Origins Shit on the Side found its roots back in 2013, when Tengaged users BENLINUS and Janey decided to host their own side show in the Viewers Lounge for Suitman's Survivor's Second Generation Survivor: Mongolia. The series ran throughout the entire first season of Mongolia, being heavily remembered for the consistent fights and arguments it created, namely with eliminated players (during their exit interviews) or with other Viewers Lounge members (who disapproved of the duos black humour). Although the Shit on the Side forum was extremely active during the season, BENLINUS left the site soon after and thus brought the side-show to an end. Revival for BENLINUS' Survivor After deciding to reboot his series in 2015, BENLINUS declined once again to incorporate a Viewers Lounge into the series, having always believed them to be damaging to the legitimacy of the game (particularly as almost every group that utilises a Viewers Lounge will have leaking controversy, even if it isn't brought to the hosts attention). Therefore, the side group was created under the title Shit on the Side once again, with no intentions of letting it become anything other than an archive for confessionals and in-game conversations. However, after Simon convinced BENLINUS to allow him to do a Simon has a podcast special, the host became more open to letting a limited amount of individuals stay in the group should they genuinely want to follow the season. In order to prevent leaking and the group turning into a legitimate Viewers Lounge, BENLINUS regularly removes those who fail to talk, generally keeping at most eight people active in the group. After All Stars, the group featured a lot more activity with past alumni. The group was given the right to create their own Cast Assessment and Chill forum, in which they can semi-seriously follow the season. Shit on the Side History * Host denotes the main host of the group. * SHAP denotes a season where this individual took part in Simon has a podcast. * CANC denotes a season where this individual took part in Cast Assessment and Chill. * Guest denotes an individual who was present in SOTS during the season, but wasn't participating in either themed side-shows within it. They may or may not have actively posted during the season. Trivia * The title Shit on the Side was created as a way to parody the Bit on the Side panel show used for Big Brother UK. * The cast table does not accurately display everyone who was present in Shit on the Side during a respective season, but rather looks at who was active enough to comment during that season. * Many people do not leave the group by choice, and are usually kicked out after being inactive for long periods of time, or simply were deemed not necessary to be left to lurk in the group. * The Cast Assessment and Chill side-show ran for six seasons (between Vietnam and Melanesia). It was created by Tim, with Qaz, Lisa and Courtney being the main cast members of the show. BENLINUS has admitted that he enjoyed the side-show, and would hope that one day it would return (albeit unlikely given that a majority of the original cast are no longer active on the site). ** The season would have likely continued to be a regular occurrence, but ended after BENLINUS took several years away from the site, returning at a point in which only Qaz was still active, thus bringing Cast Assessment and Chill to an end. *** After Heroes vs. Villains, several cast members asked to remain apart of Shit on the Side after being let in to read the seasons confessionals. BENLINUS allowed this, with Qaz ultimately deciding to reboot a seventh edition of Cast Assessment and Chill to coincide with Canaima, this time with a new panel.